Textpattern CMS support forum
You are not logged in. Register | Login | Help
- Topics: Active | Unanswered
Re: A New Default Theme for Textpattern - Request for Proposals
When I began using Textpattern, it was a bit confusing, two pages, all these forms that for the most part aren’t used.
So my question is, why do we need archive and default pages when 1 page could suffice?
Also, why not have forms for header, sidebar, footer, etc? We’re debating adding forms, yet we ship lofi, what the heck is lofi?
The way I have my sites setup, the Page is set in stone and I spend all my time in Forms. Sure beats having to bounce back and forth between the two tabs when you’re making changes.
Another thing that seems anti-productive is tab indenting designs. When you’re working on a Page or Form in a textarea, you can’t enter tabs, and if the line is long, it wraps weird and it’s not very legible.
Rather than concentrate on the look and feel of a default install, we should work towards making it as simple for a newbie to understand Textpattern. Jettison unneeded Pages and Forms, include Forms that make sense, so we can show how easy it is to reuse code. Make things simple, because at present it’s confusing.
One last thing, how about a readme file, explaining how the design is laid out and what each Form is used for.
We Love TXP . TXP Themes . TXP Tags . TXP Planet . TXP Make
Offline
Re: A New Default Theme for Textpattern - Request for Proposals
“Rather than concentrate on the look and feel of a default install, we should work towards making it as simple for a newbie to understand Textpattern. Jettison unneeded Pages and Forms, include Forms that make sense, so we can show how easy it is to reuse code. Make things simple, because at present it’s confusing.”
I second all that hcgtv has outlined. After three years of using TxP I still really don’t understand it. I mostly muck about, building of the same setup and hope things don’t break. I have yet to really get TxP … Any thing that can be change to help folks into using TxP i am totally for.
…. texted postive
Offline
#51 2010-09-28 07:18:27
- els
- Moderator
- From: The Netherlands
- Registered: 2004-06-06
- Posts: 7,458
Re: A New Default Theme for Textpattern - Request for Proposals
Hi Bert, that makes a lot of sense. I agree that the structure you propose would be very helpful for first-time Txp users. And a time-saver for those of us who change every new install to something like that anyway ;)
Offline
#52 2010-09-28 08:27:32
- Algaris
- Member
- From: England
- Registered: 2006-01-27
- Posts: 535
Re: A New Default Theme for Textpattern - Request for Proposals
I agree very much with Bert and Giovanni too. I’ve been using TXP for a while now and still don’t know what a lot of the forms are used for. I either delete them and start a fresh or ignore and work around them with my own forms.
Forms for Header, Sidebar and Footer would be a very good idea in my opinion. Just my pennies worth.
Offline
Re: A New Default Theme for Textpattern - Request for Proposals
Hi again. I’m going to take all your comments into account and develop my default template proposal, which already addresses a lot of the points that Bert made – I’ll probably put it on github when I’m back from holiday end of next week and welcome any comments and questions.
As stated in the other thread, it needs to be crystal clear what each part of the templates/forms actually do (using comments) and be as simple codewise as possible, so people can customise it easily if they wish.
Offline
#54 2010-09-28 08:43:32
- redbot
- Plugin Author
- Registered: 2006-02-14
- Posts: 1,410
Re: A New Default Theme for Textpattern - Request for Proposals
hcgtv wrote:
When I began using Textpattern, it was a bit confusing, two pages, all these forms that for the most part aren’t used….
I agree 100%
Offline
Re: A New Default Theme for Textpattern - Request for Proposals
Slightly OT: another +1 for Bert’s suggestion of simplification.
I’m discussing templating with Bert and others offline from the forum because it’s a messy business. When we’ve hammered some concrete and workable solutions into shape I’ll post here or dev weblog about it and see where we can go with it.
This isn’t just about switching templates easily, it’s also about how we reduce the TXP learning curve by removing cruft in TXP 5. It’s an opportunity to make things leaner and we should take it if we can (i.e. upgrades won’t remove forms, but new installs will ship with a reduced set and a sexier template).
And yeah, lofi… ha! wtf is that for anyway?
The smd plugin menagerie — for when you need one more gribble of power from Textpattern. Bleeding-edge code available on GitHub.
Txp Builders – finely-crafted code, design and Txp
Offline
Re: A New Default Theme for Textpattern - Request for Proposals
Bloke schrieb:
how we reduce the TXP learning curve
That makes sense :-)
Offline
Re: A New Default Theme for Textpattern - Request for Proposals
I am all in favour of making TxP a little easier to start using! If there is anyway to have two templating options: a simple Blog, and a simple non-blog type of installation i think this would go a great way to making TxP that much more user friendly. Something perhaps for future consideration after the new simple version is up and running
cheers
P.S. given some of disaffection with the way EE is going means that will open up greater opportunities for TxP.
…. texted postive
Offline
Re: A New Default Theme for Textpattern - Request for Proposals
I’m up for writing a couple of simple, clean default templates when I get a spare couple of days, but am awaiting the outcome of whatever feedback Stef gets (as stated in post #55) before going any further.
Offline
Re: A New Default Theme for Textpattern - Request for Proposals
… Why don’t use html 5 structure into TXP…5 default theme layout?
Last edited by Pat64 (2011-01-17 17:17:14)
Patrick.
Github | CodePen | Codier | Simplr theme | Wait Me: a maintenance theme | [\a mi.ni.ma]: a “Low Tech” simple Blog theme.
Offline
Re: A New Default Theme for Textpattern - Request for Proposals
Pat64 wrote:
… Why don’t use html 5 structure into TXP…5 default theme layout?
I think that is the plan already, just don’t know when.
Offline